The present invention relates to apparatus for accumulating into groups a series of spaced-apart conveyed articles. More particularly, the present invention is suitable for use in bakeries or the like for accumulating series of crushable articles such as freshly-baked loaves of bread. The present invention is specifically directed to conveying systems including endless belt roller conveyors.
Apparatus for changing the spacing between a series of articles conveyed on a roller conveyor is disclosed in the Australian Pat. No. 254,046, published Oct. 11, 1962, in which there is disclosed means for accelerating or decelerating some of the conveyed articles with respect to others by engaging the rollers within a predetermined zone with traction means for effecting rotation of the rollers to cause relative forward or backward movement of the conveyed articles with respect to the conveyor belt. But the Australian patent does not relate to accumulation of articles for conveying thereof as an accumulated group.
It is known that conveyed articles can be accumulated into a group by arresting the movement of the conveyed articles, the free rollers permitting the conveyor belt to continue moving beneath the arrested articles. But even with conveyor belts of interconnected free rollers, there is some friction in the bearings of the rollers and, therefore, as the number of accumulated articles increases, the pressure applied thereto can become significant. This is particularly true in the case of soft or crushable articles such as freshly baked loaves of bread, which will become crushed or deformed with the application thereto of relatively slight pressures. Thus, the prior art techniques are not suitable for accumulating large groups of articles such as freshly baked loaves of bread.